Ruth Chatterton stars in this awkward drama about a "laughing lady," her punishment, and her revenge. Based on a Broadway play that starred Ethel Barrymore, the film was slated for Jeanne Eagels who died before filming started.
Chatterton is married to a dull dope (Raymond Walburn) and vacationing at a fashionable hotel with her young daughter. While swimming, she nearly drowns but is saved by the lifeguard (Nat Pendleton). Oddly, he later sneaks into her bedroom for a "reward," but is caught by a snooping maid. He is fired, but Chatterton is thrown out of the hotel and causes a big scandal picked up by the newspapers. On the advice of his lawyer (Clive Brook), the husband divorces Chatterton. During the trial she keeps laughing (why is anyone's guess).
After the divorce and the husband's winning custody of the daughter, Chatterton seeks revenge on Brook (not the husband) by framing him in a series of social weekends etc. She then plants the stories in the newspapers, endangering his career.
But after they find out that the husband had a babe on the side, Brook unethically changes side and joins Chatterton to threaten the husband and the custody decision. But the newspapers are about to publish one more story that would smash Brook's career and his love for Chatterton.
Chatterton is, as always, solid and watchable. Brook is stiff. Walburn is terrible. Supporting players other than Pendleton are not well known. Notable are Nedda Harrigan as Cynthia and in an especially terrible performance Dorothy Hall as Flo.
